bestmusicforsleep
Free · CC BY 4.0343 full tracksSleep timer

The best music for sleep is the kind you stop hearing.

Slow, soft and steady instrumental music for falling asleep: Purrple Cat's dreamy chillwave and ambient downtempo, arranged into six sleep sets for the night, with a timer that fades the music out so slowly you won't notice it stop. Every track plays in full and downloads free.

See all six sets
6sleep sets
16 hof full tracks
34releases
Bedside

Tonight

Pick a set and a timer, then lights out. The music fades away on its own.

Set
Sleep timer

A night, mapped.

Tap a part of the night to play it
9 PM11 PM1 AM3 AM5 AM7 AMAwakeREMLightDeepWIND DOWNDEEP NIGHTBACK TO SLEEP

The night map is an illustration of typical sleep cycles, not a measurement of anyone's sleep.

01Sleep sets

Six sets, warm light to lights out.

Each set is picked from the audio itself for one part of the night and named for the light it belongs to, from afternoon daylight to a dark room. Tap any track to play it, or press play and let the set run until the timer fades it out.

2700 K · warm bedside light · 1:01:01 · 22 full tracks

Wind down

The hour before bed: soft keys, warm pads and slow grooves that still have a gentle tune to follow while you put the phone down, dim the lights and let the day go.

Slowness≈60–89 BPM
Softnessvery soft
Warmthbalanced
Steadinessvery steady
When
The hour before bed
Good for
Reading in bed, a bath, stretching, journaling, tidying up before sleep.
Timer
60 min, then a slow fade

Relaxing music before bed →

Wind down2700 K · warm bedside light · 10 releases · 60 min, then a slow fade
.m3u8
  1. +0:00
    Trying Something NewNow or Never · 2019
    2:50MP3
  2. +2:50
    Running LateNight Train · 2023
    2:35MP3
  3. +5:25
    Learning to Love MyselfNow or Never · 2019
    3:53MP3
  4. +9:18
    NocturneAbove the Clouds · 2020
    3:03MP3
  5. +12:21
    I Can't BreatheNostalgia and Moving On · 2019
    1:53MP3
  6. +14:15
    Whispers in the DarkWhispers in the Dark · 2019
    2:54MP3
  7. +17:09
    Stale Cookies Still Taste Pretty GoodBrain Fog · 2019
    3:07MP3
  8. +20:16
    Chugging AlongNight Train · 2023
    2:20MP3
  9. +22:36
    UnknownAbove the Clouds · 2020
    3:16MP3
  10. +25:52
    Cat Nip DazeCat Nap · 2019
    2:28MP3
  11. +28:20
    Mysterious PassengerNight Train · 2023
    2:15MP3
  12. +30:35
    BalloonAbove the Clouds · 2020
    3:15MP3
  13. +33:50
    WindyAbove the Clouds · 2020
    2:36MP3
  14. +36:26
    It's Going to Be a Good DayNow or Never · 2019
    2:18MP3
  15. +38:44
    WeightlessSleep Tight · 2025
    3:15MP3
  16. +41:58
    Dune DrifterSands of Time · 2024
    2:31MP3
  17. +44:29
    DiscoveryHouse in the Woods · 2021
    2:24MP3
  18. +46:53
    Empty Food BowlCat Nap · 2019
    2:41MP3
  19. +49:34
    SighNostalgia and Moving On · 2019
    2:46MP3
  20. +52:20
    Hiding in My Room Until Everyone LeavesNostalgia and Moving On · 2019
    2:23MP3
  21. +54:43
    The Last Day I Saw YouNow or Never · 2019
    2:57MP3
  22. +57:39
    Goodbye, I Hope We Meet AgainNostalgia and Moving On · 2019
    3:21MP3
22 full tracks · 1:01:01Free · CC BY 4.0, with credit
02Guide

What is the best music for sleep?

There's no single perfect track, but the music that works best for sleep tends to share the same five things.

The short answer

Slow, soft, steady and instrumental music that you find calm, played quietly, with a timer so it fades away once you're asleep.

  1. (1).

    Slow

    A relaxed tempo, roughly 60 to 80 beats per minute, close to a resting heartbeat. Nothing that pushes you forward.

  2. (2).

    Soft and warm

    Quiet, round sounds with little high-frequency sparkle: soft piano, warm pads and deep, gentle bass instead of bright cymbals and sharp synths.

  3. (3).

    Steady

    No drops, builds or sudden changes in volume. Predictable music asks nothing of you, which is what lets your attention let go.

  4. (4).

    Instrumental

    No lyrics to follow or sing along to. Everything on this site is instrumental.

  5. (5).

    Then silence, or very quiet

    A timer that fades the music out, or an all-night play at a whisper. Loud music all night is the one thing to avoid.

How the sets are made

Method, not myth.

Every one of the 343 tracks was measured for tempo, loudness, brightness and steadiness. Each set scores the whole catalogue against its own rules, adds each album's mood, leaves out the spooky albums and orders the picks so the set drifts gradually softer, with no sudden jumps between neighbours.

What we don't claim
  • No binaural beats, no “delta waves” and no special frequencies. This is ordinary, gentle music.
  • No promise that it will fix your sleep. Many people find slow, calm music helps them relax at bedtime; that's the whole claim.
  • Your own taste matters: the best music for sleep is music you find calm. If a track annoys you, skip it.
  • If poor sleep goes on for weeks or affects your days, talk to a doctor. Music is a comfort, not a treatment.
Sleep music through the night
SetLightWhenTempoTimerLength
Wind down2700 KThe hour before bed≈60–89 BPM60 min, then a slow fade1:01:01 · 22 tracks
Drift off1900 KLights out, falling asleep≈60–89 BPM45 min, then a slow fade51:12 · 19 tracks
Deep night0 KAll night, until morning≈63–99 BPMNo timer: loops until morning3:01:27 · 65 tracks
Back to sleep1500 KAwake at 3 AM≈60–83 BPM30 min, then a slow fade41:21 · 15 tracks
Rainy night2400 KAny rainy night≈63–99 BPM60 min, then a slow fade1:00:44 · 22 tracks
Afternoon nap4000 K20 to 30 minutes, after lunch≈60–108 BPM25 min, then a slow fade27:12 · 10 tracks
03Library

The whole library, 34 releases.

Rather fall asleep to one album start to finish? Every Purrple Cat Self Release plays here in full, newest first, in Spotify's track order. Open one for its tracklist and a free MP3 of every track.

04Free use

Free to use, with credit.

Making a sleep video, a relaxation stream or a meditation podcast? All of this music is free under CC BY 4.0. Here are the rules in full.

Free to use

  • All social media. YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Twitch, Facebook, X and the rest, including monetised videos, 8-hour sleep videos, sleep streams, Shorts and Reels.
  • Other projects too. Podcasts, meditation and relaxation content, games, apps, ads, client work and school projects.
  • Edit it to fit. Cut, loop, slow down or fade tracks, and say it's edited in the credit.
  • Credit Purrple Cat. “Music: Purrple Cat (purrplecat.com), licensed under CC BY 4.0”.

Never

  • Never re-upload or release it on streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer or Tidal, through a distributor or any other route.
  • Never release remixes, samples or covers of it on streaming services either.
  • Never register it in Content ID or claim other people's videos with it.
  • Never pass it off as your own or sell the tracks as they are.

Why so strict about streaming? Re-uploads, remixes, samples and covers on Spotify, Apple Music and other services get fingerprinted, and then false Content ID claims hit everyone who uses the music properly. Purrple Cat Self Releases have no Content ID, so there's nothing to clear when you use them as intended.

Music: Purrple Cat (purrplecat.com), licensed under CC BY 4.0
05FAQ

Questions at bedtime.

What is the best music for sleep?
Slow, soft, steady instrumental music that you find calming, played quietly. Look for a relaxed tempo (around 60 to 80 BPM), warm rather than bright sounds, no sudden changes and no lyrics, and use a timer so it fades away once you're asleep. That's how the sets on this site were picked, from Purrple Cat's dreamy chillwave and ambient downtempo lofi.
Does music actually help you sleep?
For many people, calm music at bedtime helps them relax and fall asleep more easily, and it's a simple, free thing to try. It doesn't work for everyone, and it isn't a treatment for sleep disorders. If poor sleep goes on for weeks, talk to a doctor.
Do you use binaural beats, delta waves or special frequencies?
No. This is ordinary instrumental music, picked because it's slow, soft and steady. We don't make claims about frequencies or brainwaves.
Should I play sleep music all night or use a timer?
Either. Many people like a timer: Drift off defaults to 45 minutes and fades out slowly. If you like sound all night, for example to cover street noise, Deep night loops until morning. Keep all-night sound very quiet.
How does the sleep timer work?
Pick a length (15 to 90 minutes) on the bedside panel or tap the moon button on the player. Over the last part of the timer the volume fades down very slowly, then the music stops. If you leave the dimming option on, the whole page gets darker as the timer runs, and the Lights-out screen turns everything black apart from a slow breathing ring.
Will it keep playing with my phone locked?
On most phones and computers, yes: the music keeps playing with the screen off, and the timer still fades it out. Some browsers and battery savers pause audio in the background; if that happens, leave this page open with the Lights-out screen on, which is almost completely black.
Can I use this music in my sleep videos and streams?
Yes. It's free on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Twitch, Facebook, X and all other social media, including monetised videos, 8-hour sleep videos, sleep streams and Shorts. Put “Music: Purrple Cat (purrplecat.com), licensed under CC BY 4.0” in the description. Purrple Cat Self Releases have no Content ID, so there's nothing to clear.
Can I upload it to Spotify or other streaming services?
No. Never re-upload or release the music, or remixes, samples or covers of it, on Spotify, Apple Music or any other streaming service, through a distributor or any other route. Those uploads get fingerprinted and cause false Content ID claims for everyone who uses the music properly.
Are these the full tracks? Can I download them?
Yes. Every player plays the whole track, never a short preview, and every one of the 343 tracks has a free MP3 download (192 kbps, tagged with the title, album and licence). Each set can also be downloaded as an .m3u8 playlist for VLC or the music app on your phone or computer.
How were the sets picked?
From the audio itself. Every track was measured for tempo, loudness, brightness (how much high-frequency energy it has) and steadiness. Each set scores the whole catalogue against its own rules, adds each album's mood, leaves out the spooky albums, limits how many tracks come from one release, and orders the picks so the set drifts gradually softer with no sudden jumps between neighbours.
What does the music sound like?
Dreamy chillwave and ambient downtempo lofi by Purrple Cat: soft piano, warm synth pads, deep sub-bass and slow, steady grooves. Fully instrumental.
Does this site track me?
No. No cookies, analytics or ads. Your volume and dimming choice are saved only in your own browser.